Roster Review: Devereaux Peters

Editor’s Note: Every Tuesday, Kyle Ratke will be reviewing a member of the Minnesota Lynx. We will review the player’s best games, offseason plans and more. On Thursday, there will be a photo gallery to match the week’s featured player.

Devereaux Peters, F

Age: 24

Years Pro: 2

College: Notre Dame

Last season was a growing year for Dev Peters, but at the same time a very productive one. She averaged 18.6 minutes per game (a career high) and led the team with 34 blocks.

Right now, Peters is a defensive-minded player, mostly due to effort. One of her most impressive games of the season came when Peters scored just four points in a 94-86 loss to the Chicago Sky.

What made the performance so impressive?

She played 45 minutes in the overtime loss and had the tough responsibility of trying to stop the combination of Sylvia Fowles and Elena Delle Donne. With teammates like Rebekkah Brunson and Janel McCarville not getting any younger, it will be important for the third-year player to continue her defensive effort, but also become more efficient on the offensive end.

For a post player, shooting 39.6 percent isn’t exactly a highlight. For what it’s worth, she did shoot 54.2 percent in the postseason. One area in which Peters is fairly strong in is her free-throw shooting.

Depending on roster moves, Peters will likely continue to be the first post off the bench for the Lynx. Coach Cheryl Reeve hopes she can be a full-time rotational player that the team can depend on both sides of the court.

In an 88-64 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on June 28, Peters played 25 minutes and was incredibly efficient, shooting 6-of-11 from the field on her way to scoring 14 points (season high), while hauling in nine rebounds and dishing out three assists. Those 14 points led the bench and her nine rebounds tied for a team lead with Maya Moore and Rebekkah Brunson.

Offseason Plans:

Peters is playing for Dynamo-GUVD Novosibirsk (Russia) of the Premier League and EuroCup. Teammates Seimone Augustus, Rebekkah Brunson and Lindsay Whalen also play in Russia.

In five Premier League games, Peters is averaging 12 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, a block and is shooting 36.4 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free-throw line. In four EuroCup games, she’s averaging 14.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and three steals while shooting 60 percent from the field and 61.1 percent from the free-throw line.

Her best game came on Nov. 25 when her team was beat 80-63, but that loss didn’t have much to do with Peters. The former Notre Dame star played 36 minutes and 13 seconds and put up 27 points, 10 rebounds and a steal. She shot 8-of-17 from the field.

“I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at right now without my dad. He played a major part in my basketball career and where I went and a lot of the decisions I made as far as basketball. It’s very big and important for me just because of the role he’s played pretty much in my career. He does a lot of the managing of stuff off the court, and he plays a very big role in that so he’s pretty important to me.” - Dev Peters on the impact her father has had on her basketball career.

Look for a photo gallery of Peters to hit the site on Thursday.

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